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KEN WIEBE, QMI Agency

EDMONTON - Paul LaPolice made it clear there is no magic potion to chug down or a shortcut available.

As the Winnipeg Blue Bombers make a third attempt to break into the win column this season, the head coach was asked what it took for a team to learn how to finish out games?

The answer was elementary — at least in theory.

“When you’re in a position where you play with confidence, know what you’re doing and you execute, that’s when you have that closing mentality,” LaPolice said Thursday at Commonwealth Stadium in preparation for Friday’s game against the Edmonton Eskimos. “Certainly, there’s not a huge science to it. It’s when you’re at the point where you have to make a play, you make the play.

“And when you have to do your job the right way, you do your job the right way.”

Through the first two weeks of the 2012 season, the Bombers have only managed to do that part of the time, but haven’t been consistent enough to have all three phases of the game working.

Watching the Bombers defence get torched for 41 points and 551 net yards against the Montreal Alouettes was a red flag, considering that same defence was responsible for keeping their season-opening loss to the B.C. Lions close for as long as they possibly could.

“We did struggle last week, there’s no doubt. Just look at the scoreboard and you’ll figure it out,” said Bombers defensive end Jason Vega. “There were some assignments that we blew and opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. It would help if we’d start figuring those things out and then, the wins will come.”

On the other side, Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed hasn’t lost perspective on his team’s 1-1 start and shot down the suggestion this game required some level of desperation.

“We don’t deal in desperation,” said Reed. “That’s the one thing I’ve been very vigilant about in our preparation. This is not a desperation football game. We’re not going to put that label on this game.

“Our football team is young and it’s a process. There are 16 games left and my message to them is that if we win more than we lose, we’re going to have an opportunity in the end.”

“No, they’re not an 0-2 football team,” said Reed. “They’re obviously well-coached, a football team that plays very hard from start to finish. They ran into two very good football teams at home. They’ve had some turnover as well, in terms of their roster. But when I watch them on film, in all three phases, that’s not an 0-2 football team.”

If the Bombers can help it, they’ll avoid becoming an 0-3 football team.